30 Women to Watch

Di Lewis, Heather Stewart, Sarah Ryther Francom

May 1, 2012

“Because of my strong relationships with senior lawyers and new associates, I am serving as a bridge between the generations in the law firm, assisting with the transition of important leadership positions and client relationships,” she says. In particular, Scott is honored to serve as an example for the young women in her firm.

“I have been given tremendous advantages and opportunities that many people, including smart and hardworking people, haven’t been given. I don’t want to waste them. And I want to be in a position to be the ‘luck’ in someone else’s life or career.”

Barbara Riddle loves promoting and building Davis County area attractions. And with gems like Antelope Island and Lagoon Amusement Park, Riddle has much to boast about. But what she enjoys most about her position as president and CEO of the Davis Area CVB is growing the local economy. For example, under Riddle’s direction the organization has been instrumental in bringing more than $34.5 million in group business to the Davis County area.

“I really enjoy being involved in an organization where our success brings economic growth to our community and influences the success of small businesses within our county,” she says. “We have witnessed great growth in product with an expanded conference center, new restaurants, hotels, and attractions and services.”

Riddle’s commitment to the community extends beyond her role at the CVB. She has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Utah Association of Destination Marketing Organizations, Utah Tourism Industry Coalition, Davis Chamber of Commerce, 388th Fighter Wing Falcon and McKay-Dee Hospital.

Jane Shock loves going to work at a place that allows her to help people. During her time at American Express, Shock says she is proud to have worked on the development of public-private partnerships that have financed nearly 23,000 units of affordable housing for low-income people and 1,254 small businesses that could not get conventional financing. The company’s grant program also helps more than 100,000 low-income individuals annually.

“Leadership is not defined by title and you don’t need direct reports to be a leader. It is earned through competence, integrity and caring,” she says. “My style is to ‘take ownership’ and define the strategy, goals and objectives then empower my team to execute.”

Shock has an extensive financial background with previous positions at the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco and WestAmerica Bank. She also serves on the boards of Intermountain Healthcare Urban Central Region, Community Development Corporation of Utah, United Way of Salt Lake, Salt Lake County Housing Trust Fund and the Utah American Indian Housing Council.

Julie Simmons
Chief Information Officer, MarketStar

Julie Simmons has an impressive, 25-year career in technology management. In the 1990s, she was vice president of sales and marketing for Intelisys, a technology startup that was ahead of its time in document digitization. She joined MarketStar in 2000 as director of web development and project management. Now as the company’s CIO, Simmons is responsible for the technology strategy, infrastructure and digital solutions to support the company’s global business.

Simmons sits on the board of the Women Tech Council, serves on the Career Technology Advisory Committee for Weber School District and volunteers for Expanding Your Horizons. She is also passionate about helping young women find fulfilling careers through lookilulu.com, a website she started with her sister. Lookilulu profiles career women and helps girls find careers that match their passions and interests.

“There are so many amazing possibilities in life and I think it’s important to expand the vision of young girls and to expose them to diverse possibilities,” she says.

Jennifer Smith heads the corporate bank operations division for Zions Bancorporation. The division has 500 employees who support the company’s affiliate banks across 10 states. Prior to this role, she served as director of internal audit during one of the most tumultuous times in banking history. Zions relied on her team to evaluate risks that could threaten the company’s success—and as a result of her work, the bank has maintained a high degree of trust from its customers and the market.